[atari 2600]

R.E.M. release new anthology and DVD


Out today (Tuesday, September 12th) are a new two-CD anthology and a DVD from R.E.M. that reach back to their early days. The album is called And I Feel Fine: The Best Of The I.R.S. Years 1982-1987, and it features rarities, live tracks, and previously unreleased songs, while the DVD titled When The Light Is Mine includes a mix of music videos and live TV performances.

With the band's early history on display through the new releases, bassist Mike Mills told us that it's interesting to see the changes they went through, including the loss of drummer Bill Berry: "It's a different band because of Bill, but it's also a different band because, you know, people change so much over 20 years. We're all still essentially the same people, but so much around us maybe is what has changed, and so it's a walk through a different land when you go back that far."

Berry quit REM back in 1997, though he's stayed friendly with his former bandmates.

Berry will perform with Mills, lead singer Michael Stipe, and guitarist Peter Buck when REM is inducted into the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame on Saturday (September 16th) in Atlanta.

http://www.therockradio.com/2006/09/...y-and-dvd.html

[Cantankerous]

courtney will be excited.

[atari 2600]

http://www.remhq.com/irs/index.html

 

[CHOUT]

I watched the DVD with Alsex the other day and is was wonderful. I love early REM the best. Didn't buy it yet, since I had to buy the new Police dvd that Steward Copeland compiled of old super 8 tour footage. I already have the Succumbs video that has most of it, but it's awesome seeing the early tv appearances.

[atari 2600]

If one explores the remhq link all the tracklistings can be viewed.


The 2nd cd rarities disc isn't all that exciting to me because I have much of it. It was also perplexing to see that nothing from either of the excellent pro-shot shows that I have or others that are out there are included on the dvd.

The dvd is still a must-have even though I have some of it already, so I'll be getting that...probably tomorrow, although part one of the Andy Warhol documentary narrated by Laurie Anderson is on PBS tomorrow too, so I may just wait until the weekend.

[CHOUT]

Yeah, most collections leave me wanting material that isn't included - the Letterman TV debut would be kickass.

I have everything on disc 2 in one form or another. I have tons of REM bootleg tapes.

[atari 2600]

I only have that as an .mp3, but I do remember watching it the night it happened. It was the first I had ever heard of them.

It's really mainly the earlier material that interests me too.
Usually, there's a new one from early on dime pretty regularly, but unfortunately, they are mostly from the past few years. Also, www.murmurs.com has torrent listings now and I've gotten one earlier show. It's worth taking a look at over there.

R.E.M.
Carnival of Sorts
Chronic Murmurings (outtakes) x2
DIY various & live compilation x2
Documentary (1987 concert)
Green Demos John Keane Studios Athens, Ga
The Complete Green Demos Upgrade
Hitting the Note American Acoustic Tour 1991 sbd
It's the End of the World...As we Know It!! sbd ??/??/??
R.E.M. Succumbs vhs (video collection)
So Much Younger Then/Georgia Peaches---Ripe! (Tyrone's OC Athens, Ga 1981 show)
The Peter Buck Tape (Tyrone's OC Athens, Ga 1981 show) x2
Time of Outtakes (outtakes from Out of Time)
Tourfilm (Warner Bros.,1990) vhs
5/30/80 40 Watt Club Athens, Ga
6/06/80 Wuxtry Records Atlanta, Ga
1/10/81 Tyrone's O.C. Athens, GA
5/12/81 Tyrone's O.C. Athens, GA That Beat in Time
??/??/81 Tyrone's O.C. Athens, GA
9/22/81 Tyrone's O.C. Athens, GA sbd
9/23/81 Tyrone's O.C. Athens, GA sbd x2
1/22/82 Friday's Greensboro, NC File Under Kudzu
4/24/82 Merlyn's Madison, WI sbd
7/02/82 The Strand Marietta, GA Do the Strand
8/24/82 Old Waldorf San Francisco
9/22/82 First Avenue Club Minneapolis, MN
10/21/82 I & I Club Athens, GA
7/09/83 Larry's Hideaway Toronto, ON sbd Rising
9/30/83 Stichcraft, Athens, GA sbd
11/18/83 The Tube London (from When the Light is Mine dvd)
4/17/84 Exo-7 Rouen, France
6/??/84 I.R.S. Studios Holywood I.R.S. The Cutting Edge (acoustic from When the Light is Mine dvd)
6/09/84 The Capitol Theatre Passaic, NJ (pro) vcd x2
6/27/84 Music Hall Seattle sbd Rock and Roll Stars
7/16/84 The Playpen, Wildwood, NJ
9/26/84 Duke University Durham, NC We Are Having A Heavenly Time
10/12/84 Capitol Theatre Passaic, NJ x2
11/21/84 Rock City Nottingham, England sbd x2 Old Man Kensey
11/26/84 Birmingham UNiversity Birmingham, UK
4/28/85 Busch Student Center Rutgers University x2
7/07/85 Werchter, Belguim FM sbd
8/28/85 Tower Theatre Philadelphia, PA x2
10/02/85 Rockpalast Die Zeche Bochum, Ger (pro) vcd x2
10/25/85 The Tube London (from When the Light is Mine dvd)
11/09/85 CMJ Music Awards Beacon Theater NYC
9/27/86 Santa Barbara County Bowl Santa Barbara, CA x2
10/12/86 Kiel Opera House St. Louis, MO x2
11/24/86 Fox Theater Atlanta x2
11/31/86 Patrick Gymnasium University of Vermont Burlington x2
5/24/87 McCabe's Guitar Shop Santa Monica, CA
9/14/87 Red Rain Utrect, NL x2
4/30/89 Orlando, FL Songs for a Green World
5/15/89 Pink Pop Festival Landgraaf, NL FM
4/31/91 KCRW studios Morning Becomes Eclectic FM sbd Half A World Away bootleg
8/31/99 Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta 99X WNNX-FM sbd x2
5/05/01 Nulle Part Ailleurs show sbd (incomplete)
Canel + studio, Paris
5/07/01 studio 105 la maison de la radio, Paris, May 7th, 2001 sbd
10/08/05 Kingpin's Bowling Alley, Athens, GA sbd (with Bill Berry)
9/16/06 The 28th Annual Georgia Music Hall Of Fame Awards Show Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta sbd (with Bill Berry)

[finding nobody]

I like REM. Never been a huge fan, but they definitely have some solid stuff.
I found Automatic For The People at yard-sale down the road. I snagged it
I just might buy this.

[CHOUT]

Originally Posted by atari 2600

5/30/80 40 Watt Club Athens, Ga

Could you tell me a bit about this show? Setlist if you can? I may have it, but I don't remember having this early of a show. I need this if I don't. I have a good chunk of the same shows you have. You can find the Letterman video on Youtube.

[Cantankerous]

that song shiny happy people pisses me off.

[CHOUT]

My Georgia Peaches - Ripe (1/81 Tyrones) lp is my favorite bootleg ever. My band covers Dangerous Times sometimes.

[atari 2600]

My favorite is the same one! You have amazing taste. I have it listed as "So Much Younger Then." I've written about this show before on the board.
Ripe! is more complete. It was a dime torrent "upgrade" of 1/10/81 that gave me the tracks I was missing.
I sometimes regard it as my favorite bootleg ever by any band.

It's so damn great.

I'm gonna go dig that '80 show out for the setlist.

[CHOUT]

Originally Posted by atari 2600

My favorite is the same one! You have amazing taste. I have it listed as "So Much Younger Then."
Ripe! is more complete. It was a dime torrent "upgrade" of 1/10/81 that completed it.
I sometimes regard it as my favorite bootleg ever by any band.

It's so damn great.

I'm gonna go dig that '80 show out for the setlist.

Shit dude, you not only have impeccable REM taste, you guessed my Devo avatar - impressive. -end asskissing-

[atari 2600]

I didn't have to much digging at all.
I found it right away, but I still have to type in the tracklisting.

[atari 2600]

01 Baby I
02 Route 66
03 Scheherezade >
04 Lisa Says >
05 Mystery To Me
06 Chappaquiddick (She Said)
07 All the Right Friends
08 A Girl Like You
09 Dangerous Times
10 Mediocrity
11 Shakin' All Over
12 I've Got A Charm
13 Body Count
14 A Different Girl
15 Dangerous Times
16 All the Right Friends
17 A Different Girl
18 Narrator (for the Jacques Cousteau Show)
19 Just A Touch
20 Baby I
21 Mystery To Me
22 Permanent Vacation

tracks 1-14 40 Watt Club, Athens 5/30/80
tracks 15-22 Wuxtry Records Atlanta (this could actually be Athens) 6/06/80

The torrent came with cover art and the torrent notes explain that these were among their earliest performances. The only one I know of that is earlier is the show they played at the old church they all lived in for a time. That church is now kiddie condos, but when they were being built back in the '90s, they preserved the steeple and called the apartments "Steeplechase", if memory serves. I once knew this cool girl who had all these large drawing pads full of charcoal drawings she made of the interior of the old church.
There are a few train tressels in Athens, but the kudzu-laden one featured on the cover of Murmur is just a block or two from the church.

Actually, I just googled and 5/30/80 is their earliest known recording, concert or otherwise.

[CHOUT]

Originally Posted by atari 2600

01 Baby I
02 Route 66
03 Scheherezade >
04 Lisa Says >
05 Mystery To Me
06 Chappaquiddick (She Said)
07 All the Right Friends
08 A Girl Like You
09 Dangerous Times
10 Mediocrity
11 Shakin' All Over
12 I've Got A Charm
13 Body Count
14 A Different Girl
15 Dangerous Times
16 All the Right Friends
17 A Different Girl
18 Narrator (for the Jacques Cousteau Show)
19 Just A Touch
20 Baby I
21 Mystery To Me
22 Permanent Vacation

tracks 1-14 40 Watt Club, Athens 5/30/80
tracks 15-22 Wuxtry Records Atlanta (this could actually be Athens) 6/06/80

The torrent came with cover art and with notes explaining that these were among their ealiest performances. The only one I know of that is earlier is the show they played at the old church they all lived in for a time. That church is now kiddie condos, but when they were being built back in the '90s, they preserved the steeple and called the apartments "Steeplechase", if memory serves. I once knew this cool girl who had all these large drawing pads full of charcoal drawings she made of the interior of the old church.
There are a few train tressels in Athens, but the kudzu-laden one featured on the cover of Murmur is just a block or two from the church.

I've been to athens and did the dork rem fan tour with alsex my bandmate. haha. i took some rubble from the steeple. haha. we saw everything and even went to Philomath!

any way you can yousendit that show??? I don't know how to do torrents! I dont' have that! I remember a book having video grabs of rem playing in wuxtry at that time. I wanna see that! Someone had posted a complete 82 show video on a website for a limited time that was awesome.

[atari 2600]

It doesn't sound as great as 1/10/81, but yeah. I'm hoping you could peruse http://orangefox.svs.com/rem/bootdiscog.html or a similar site and find one of your tapes there that isn't on my list or just pick one I dont have that's really good and upload one for me in return.

[atari 2600]

By the way, I have proof positive that Mark Prindle is a goober. People that like him are too, no doubt. He gives the bootleg we are both raving about a 1 out of 10.

http://www.markprindle.com/rema.htm#so
So Much Younger Then - Bootleg

 

On a foggy Monday in September, I hapt upon a miracle at the thrift store. In the dollar bin of cassette tapes filled with garbage and pish-posh rested a gentle TDK (I also first had this on cassette...I was so glad when I got the torrents) featuring the lilting handwriting of a young girl or "girly man," as popular political figure Hans and Franz might say. But this was no ordinary lilting TDK: this tape featured illicit tapings of two already illegal REM bootlegs -- (which actually brings up a point I hadn't considered. We know bootlegging is wrong, but how about if you bootleg a BOOTLEG, as this enterprising human bean had done? Is it considered a good deed to take money out of the bootlegger's pocket? I don't know the answer. I can't even fathom how such a moral conundrum might be resolved. As our discussion continues, my mind is spinning with the possibilities, slowly tearing away at the delicate brainstem attachment. OW!

(*rests lazily in chair like Christopher Reeve*)
(*laughs uproariously at such a biting irreverent jab at a well-loved public figure*)
(*reads this week's obituaries; squirts intestinal bile out of nose*)
To cut to the quick chase, REM used to be a hellaciously rotten new wave/punk rock band. All the right instrumental elements were there from the beginning -- Peter Buck's clean jangly guitar tone, Michael Stipe's light Southern drawl, Mike Mills' excitable backup vocals and presumably bass playing of some sort, the drummer's peppy 4/4 beat later utilized in folk-punk classics like "Radio Free Europe" and "These Days" -- but one key element of the band's sound had yet to come to fruition. I'm speaking of course about the ability to compose anything remotely suggesting that the band members held even an ounce of collective common sense. Presumably they were going for some sort of Ramonesy beachpunk feel with the constant speedy 4/4 rhythm and simplistic chord sequences, but the "riffs" are just -- I mean, just TERRIBLE! Absolutely TERRIBLE! Straight out of 1958 A-E-D simplistic crap -- like the worst Buddy Holly outtakes of all time played fast on a clean guitar. It's not beachy, nor punky, nor Ramonesy in any other way, no matter how many times they rip off the "Blitzkrieg Bop" riff (which is PLENTY). It's just BAD! Even when they try to take a darker approach with minor chords and pessimistic lyrics, the songwriting remains clueless and the songs hookless. It's truly astonishing to think that this band would soon become one of the greatest songwriting teams in rock and roll history (I mean have you heard Reveal? It fuckin' TEARS!!!).
The bootleg was recorded at a live "gig" in 1980 (wrong!) , and features the following tracks: Body Count (not an Ice-T cover), A Different Girl, Action (not a Paul Revere & The Raiders cover), Narrator For The Jacques Cousteau Show, She's Such A Pretty Girl, Baby I, Permanent Vacation (not an Aerosmith cover), Wait (not a White Lion cover), Scheherezade, Lisa Sez (probably a Lou Reed cover, though I didn't compare the two songs to check), Mystery To Me (not a Fleetwood Mac cover), I Don't Want You Anymore (not a Ramones cover), Little Girl (indeed a Syndicate Of Sound cover), Dangerous Times.
Do you recognize these rare REM songs? From b-sides, later album appearances, mixed artist compilations, rarities collections, box sets and any of the other many outlets that a band of REM's stature would naturally have for stray tracks? No, you don't. AND THERE'S A GOOD GODDAMNED REASON FOR THAT!!! Here I am all excited thinking I'm going to get this all-new collection of great REM tunes that nobody's ever heard, and what do I end up with but stereo speakers so filled with shit that everything I play now is completely muffled. Aside from the Syndicate of Sound cover, there is not a single good -- or even DECENT -- song on this bootleg. Okay, "A Different Girl" has a couple of good parts. But that is IT. REM's earliest material is shockingly bad. Horrifyingly bad. Dip your balls in a blender bad.
Oh, I'm sorry. Do you not generally dip your balls in a blender when you hear a bad record?
Wait, now I'm really confused. If I'm the only one who does this, where did all these "women" come from? THEY certainly must have dipped their balls in a blender after hearing a bad record at some point!
So basically what you're saying is that I'd might as well give up sending Billy Joel tapes to Steve Guttenberg. I knew it! I shall die alone!!!! Reader Comments
spectre316@email.com (Matt F.)
Wha..?
Mark, tell me this doesn't exist! TELL ME RIGHT NOW! I thought the earliest stuff was "Chronic Town"! WTFFff?!111111oenoenoen
Well, I guess every band starts nowhere and ends up somewhere eventually. Or they just stay on the same shitty level throughout their entire career.
Seriously, I had always thought R.E.M. started out fucking amazing and then only recently went downhill (don't you ever mention "Around the Boring Adult Alternative Sun" around me, EVER! I FUCKIN MEAN IT!). The only other bands I can think of that started great were.. um.. They Might Be Giants (shut up), some punk bands, and... well, nevermind. A lot of fucking bands. Damn those amazing debut albums/EPs/singles/funni stuf.
Anyway, wow. I want to hear this amazingly bad piece of shit so much right now! CaN u SeN it 2 mE oN aOL????
No, but seriously! Where do I find this thing? I MUST HAVE IT!
dumpster@compulsoryarts.com
'So Much Younger Then' was recorded at Tyrone's O.C. in Athens January 10th, 1981, (thank you) and was just one of many. It was all about having a good time and (if you asked) Michael didn't mind if you plugged a tape deck into the sound board and helped yourself to the show. I myself have several tapes from those early days. Tyrone's was the place to go in the late 70's & early 80's until it burnt to the ground in January of 82. On any given night you could dance to bands such as The Tone Tones, The Method Actors, Pylon, The Side Effects, Love Tractor, The Squalls, Little Tigers, Men in Trees and Limbo District, to name but a few. Another REM bootleg from Tyrone's is the 'Do You Remember? - Dead Giveaway Office' LP.
Add your thoughts?
Yeah, just one...Mark Prindle can fuck a duck.

[CHOUT]

haha, I haven't read his page in a while. I disagree with much of his reviews, but they're pretty amusing. A friend of mine found a homemade bootleg tape at a thriftstore containing the 'down south' bootleg and green demos. I have it now.

I'll dig through my tapes and offer you somethings you don't have. I'm getting internet this week at home then I could trade with you. I have a soundboard of REM's thanksgiving 81 first ave minneapolis (first show here) show, for example.

[atari 2600]

I've never been to Philomath. Haha. I've always wanted to at least pass through though.

I lived across the street on the corner from the steeple in a house right next to the Amoco station on the corner of Oconee & Peter St. If you go down Peter St. and look to your left, that's where the cover of Murmur is taken.

For over a year, I lived on Hill St. right down from Peter Buck's yellow house, but he had already moved to Seattle. His ex, Barrie, still lived there & she used to walk her dog when I was walking mine and we talked a bit a couple of times.

Also, I lived directly across the street from Stipe on Grady Ave. for a few months before I left Athens to move here.